I teach at a secondary school. A few years ago I found my situation untenable. I prepared my lessons, tried hard. And built good relations with the pupils. But still they seemed to have no joy in learning. I was continually working to overcome resistance, gather attention, carry the class. It seemed the pupils were working for me rather than themselves, and using only a fraction of their capacity.
I began to realise that we have to sell our wares better, We have to help the pupils understand the joy and usefulness of each type of knowledge. If they still don't want it, we should take it off the curriculum.
With the help of this material, and many discussions, we arrived at a curriculum content which the pupils agreed was important. The next step was to organise the material in such a way that each pupil can succeed, over and over, in every subject.
Our regular school books contain an impossible amount of material in relation to the time available. Teachers feel under pressure to communicate all of it, and instead communicate their stress.
American research shows that, given sufficient time, most pupils (75%-85%) can achieve the results of the top 30%. So I decided to let each pupil pace him or herself. The material for each term and subject is divided into basic material and select material packages. A pupil can at any time ask to be tested on any package. He or she knows that full marks on the basic package will automatically give a pass mark in that subject. Anything higher than a pass mark requires one or more select packages.
I have a dream - a dream that every child shall long to go to school every day, viewing the school as the source of desirable and desired knowledge and skills; and feeling 'that's where I feel recognised, acknowledged. Where I succeed, experience self-confidence and the joy of work well done.'
Hakan Jaerbur, Stopvagen 85, S-161 43 Bromma, Sweden (tel 46 825 2072).